NIGEL Farage claimed Boris Johnson could be closer to winning the next Conservative party leadership election following the controversy over the former Foreign Secretary's remarks about Muslim women wearing burkas in public.

Speaking to Sky News, the former Ukip leader claimed any poll among Conservative party members on whether to introduce a burka ban in the UK would prove the party would be overwhelmingly in favour of it.

The support for the ban would put Boris Johnson in a favourable position at the next leadership election, Mr Farage claimed, following his latest remarks on the religious garment.

The British MEP said: “If over half the country wants the burka ban I would bet you that if we polled Conservative party members we’d find that figure was somewhat higher than 50 percent.

“And given that at some point in time, when there is a leadership election within the Conservative party, it will be the Tory party members that vote, I suspect these comments make him more likely to be Prime Minister, not less.”

I suspect these comments make him more likely to be Prime Minister, not less

Nigel Farage

Tensions increased when Brandon Lewis, Chairman of the Conservative Party, posted on Twitter that he had “asked Boris Johnson to apologise”.

This position was backed by the Prime Minister who supported the apology call saying Mr Johnson’s words “obviously have offended”.

She added: “It is very clear that anyone who is talking about this needs to think very carefully about the language they use.”

However, allies of Mr Johnson hit back. Tory MP Jacob Rees Mogg said: “It’s hard to see what he should apologise for.

“He has defended people’s right to wear the burka whilst saying it is an inelegant garment. Neither of those proposals is unreasonable.”

The row followed the Prime Minister to Edinburgh, where she was discussing post-Brexit investments.

Asked if Mr Johnson should apologise, or if he should lose the party whip, Mrs May told reporters: "I am very clear, and the Government is very clear about our position on the burka, which is that women should be able to choose how to dress.

"It's up to women how they should dress. It's not up to other people to tell a woman how to dress.

"But obviously these issues are ones that are openly discussed and it's right that we have a discussion about issues like this.